savedtheworld | Book 11: Memories Down the Stream [Voice/Action]

[By now, it almost seems like a way of Luceti - that whenever good news happens, it will be followed by bad before long. Just yesterday, Katara had come back to the house. As herself. But today? The house woke up to a different empty room. Toph's.

It seemed like so soon since she had given him his last metalebending lesson. He still had so much to learn. And he still remembered so clearly when she showed up, tunneling from the earth like the little badger mole she was. Her original presence in Luceti may have precluded his, but when she came back, she was from the same time as him. He know that aside from missing one of his best friends, he'd miss being able to relate to one of the few people from that time.

But in a way, Aang knew this could be for the best. He remembered how she had worried about her life, with everything the future had shown to them. The short time that her daughter was around. How Toph feared the possibility of having to live her life in Luceti without ever returning home, that she might not become the person she thought she was supposed to be. But now she didn't have to worry about that anymore. She could live that life for herself. And hopefully, she'd find peace and happiness in that life. They could all still be friends there, too, in that lifetime.

Aang spends a little time wallowing in his grief, first. After all, he misses her already. Then he remembers one of the first things she told him when arriving. "Missed me? After only a month? Come on, don't get sappy!" With a faint smile, he nodded before he rose to do what he had to do. Toph had put her hopes in him.

And he soon addressed the journals.]

Hi everyone. This is Aang. You should know that Toph Beifong is... She's gone back home. I guess our world can only go so long without its greatest Earthbender around. She left some letters to hand out, but everyone who knew her should know... She cared about you a lot more than she says. Even her punches had friendship in them.

[He grabbed the letters that she had left behind, knowing all too well what they all said. After all, he was the one who had to transcribe them for her.

And so, Aang starts to play the distribution game. He first gives out letters to those around the house. If there were any who did not find about Toph's absence at the same time as him, then he would give them the letter and the news prior to the journal announcement. Then, he seeks out Suki, Ion, Fenimore, Shikamaru, Masaomi and Saori to deliver their letters. If there's any he can't find, he'll leave the letter at the door of their house. Or in their mailbox. Do we have mailboxes?

He tries to go about his normal daily activities afterwards, showing few signs of anything wrong. Places to frequent include the Welcome Center, library, tea shop and item shop. And in the evening, after dinner, he takes some of the remaining metal sheets lying around the house out to the forest to do some metalbending practice on his own. Still, every time he messed up, he could almost feel the punches.]

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No problem, guys. I'm just doing following what Toph wanted!

[Gosh Masaomi it's not like there's a bomb in it.]

Do you have many more left to deliver?

[It's Toph there could be antrhrax or something

...Hesitantly, opening. So hesitantly. Once it's open, he's not really reading it just yet]

Just three. Most of them were from people in the house... and I just stopped by Suki's. I just thought you should be next. [He still had Ion, Fenimore and Saori left.]

[He nods, rubbing his chin. So... five people got letters, discounting those from their world. It was a couple of sentences, but he's further impressed he made the cut. Masaomi too.]

[And then, finally, he reads the leader. It's short, it can't really be called a letter, but the reaction is pretty immediate. And strong. There's a deep intake of breath, and his eyes go wide at the letter. What- What?

"You're strong in different ways, and even if you're totally obnoxious, I know you're a good person when it counts."

What can he even-] You're screwing with me.

[Masaomi's reaction takes Aang by surprise.]

W-what?

[What he said.]

[And sharply, he turns to Aang]

When did you write this?

[He's taken aback slightly by the sudden questioning, but then he tries to remember the answer.]

She had me write them back in December. It wasn't that long before Christmas...

[Huh, that recent. He looks closely between the two of them.]

So after that spar... [But even so... What, was she that impressed by that moment? His hands are trembling as grips the paper. Linda was the big winner there, not him. ]

You sparred? [And he's still alive?]

If it's the week I'm thinking of, you came out of that one all right.

[They didn't need another hospital bed, anyways.]

Linda won the day there. [He says this quietly and... slightly defensively. Strong. Strong? Is she mocking him, or did her getting that pinned really mess her up that much. Linda, in her corner, looks smug for a moment]

Wow, that's great, Masaomi! You and Linda work together, after all.

[He tries to smile; this should be good news. Even with the odd stuff he heard from Green, he knew that he and Linda had to have good teamwork to beat someone like Toph, and to have taught lessons on teamwork to Ikki.]

He did train her well. Earth or ground things are supposed to be her weakness, you know. Don't know if it's the same up against bending...

[He thinks he's remembering that right. It's the opposite with chakra natures, so it's one of those things that stands out, it's weird enough to him.]

After all? [Ans his eyes shift, he looks over, curiously, at Aang. There was a doubt? Well no, of course there's a doubt, but why is Aang sharing it. The lessons with Ikki got called off shortly before he was kidnapped (not that there was more than a day or two of it before) so he focuses on this to distract from his sentiment and denials about the letter]

I just mean... It was a victory for both of you, wasn't it? [He tries to say in a supportive manner. Even with hints of doubts planted by talking to Green, remembering Toph's letter had helped him to realize this victory must have been fair. And if so, it was credit that both partners could both share. Then he looks towards Shikamaru.]

I don't know how that'd work either. With bending, none of forms are supposed to have a real advantage over another except in certain circumstances.

[Well the only one who'd know that would be Masaomi. But he seems to be taking a different meaning here from all that, or slowly working towards one. He only needs so many nudges, so Shikamaru just nods and continues to look casual about the thing.]

Electricity doesn't channel well through dirt apparently, and hitting her with mud and the like tends to make her more agitated than other sorts of hits. [He says this mechanically, thinking about how Aang is saying that. That's... interesting. He decides not to think too hard on it, it's just him being paranoid because he'd been kidnapped. It was a big win]

Huh. Then that must've really been some victory.

[He nods to the letter.] Toph wanted a rematch, I bet.

[...]

Yeah, that'd make sense. [But even as he says it, he's not sure he believes himself. He's thinking about the totality of the wording there. He frowns deeper, getting lost in thought]

I bet she did. She - she knew you were worthy. [As an opponent, and as a person.]

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